A Bite Of Ice And Pain

 A Bite of Ice and Pain

I can't get dental—too young, they say,

Not old enough for care to come my way.

No proper pension, no safety net,

Just piddly scraps of what I get.

Housing’s a dream I cannot reach,

The rules are cruel, their grip a leech.

They tell me I don’t make enough,

For help, I’m stranded, life is rough.

Before the holidays, I sought reprieve,

To the ER, my pain to relieve.

A wrist that throbbed, a tooth that ached,

A heart that felt like it might break.

Too many souls where I lay my head,

One struggles, another lost and fed

By substances, while the dog and cat

Circle a home too small, too flat.

They told me, “You’re not sick enough,

No addiction, no broken bones, just tough.”

And so I left with empty hands,

Trying to survive in barren lands.

On Christmas night, a cruel surprise—

A jagged edge where my crown now lies.

A lopsided bite, a raw, sore tongue,

A reminder of battles I’ve never won.

I sit and wonder how this can be,

In a land of wealth, yet none for me.

I’ve given life, I’ve done my part,

But the world’s gone cold, it has no heart.

Billionaires thrive, their coffers deep,

While I eat ice cream just to sleep.

To numb the pain, to ease the swell,

In a system that has let me dwell—

In shadows dark, in silent screams,

Where dignity fades, and hope’s a dream.

If this stirs tears, then let them flow,

For this is life, the pain I know.